Women's History Month

Women's History Month 2013 Events

Every March, the Women’s Center sponsors a number of programs designed to increase awareness and encourage people to act on behalf of women’s and gender equity.

Download (PDF) the list of 2013 Women's History Month events sponsored by the Women's Center, and other campus and community organizations.

Women's Center

March 7 »How to Be Outrageous! (Workshop)8:30 a.m., 110 Shevlin HallOutrageous = exceeding the bounds of the expected, unconventional, violating accepted standards. In this workshop we will actively think about how we are outrageous, gain some ideas for increasing our confidence and those of others, and commit to taking some action for continued positive change and outrageousness in our lives. Register: diversity.umn.edu/women/workshopregistration.

March 27 »Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Making the Case for Women’s Equity (Workshop)8:30 a.m., Minnesota Commons Room, St. Paul Student CenterThe media makes it sound like women have reached equality. What's the truth? And how do you make the case quickly, i.e., in the time it takes for an elevator ride? In this interactive workshop, increase your knowledge of women’s stats today, share ideas for breaking the ceiling, and practice making a one-minute case explaining how achieving women’s equity benefits everyone. Audience: All members of the U community. This workshop is part of the OED Certificate Program, sponsored by the Office for Equity and Diversity. For more information and to register: diversity.umn.edu/workshopsandtrainings.

Whether you use the term feminist, womanist, or something else, this conversation brings women across generations together to talk about issues that both unite and divide. Enriching and complicating one’s views are the intersections of age, race, class, ethnicity, culture, and sexual identity. Join us for a dynamic, nuanced look at the continuing struggle for women’s equality across generations.

Panelists: Debra Fitzpatrick, Program Director, Center on Women and Public Policy, University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs; Brittany M. Lewis, Graduate Fellow, University of Minnesota Department of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies; Kimberia Sherva, Director, Slutwalkmn.org; Sandra Vargas, President and CEO, Minneapolis Foundation. Moderator: Peg Lonnquist, Director, University of Minnesota Women’s Center. These conversations, sponsored by the Office for Equity and Diversity, are open to all students, staff, faculty and community members, anddo not require an RSVP. For more information and/or to download the flyer: diversity.umn.edu/criticalconversations.

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

March 1»Forcing Sex: Violent Contestations over South African Masculinities (Talk by Amanda Swarr, Associate Professor of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, University of Washington)1:00 p.m., 400 Ford HallWithin the past decade, South South Africa has gained worldwide attention for violent masculinities, manifested remarkably through high rates of sexual assault with public sanction, “corrective” rapes of lesbians, intentional HIV infections, sexual violence targeting infants, and debates over intersexuality. Challenges to the composition of male masculinities have been the subject of sensationalist journalism and public discussion and led to stigma, medical maltreatment, and aggressive policing. This presentation will highlight particular moments in the past decade of such controversies, centering on how and why debates about gender codify its meaning. Sponsored by the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies. For more information: gwss.umn.edu.

March 7» International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women Activists in Our Community5:30 p.m., Auditorium, 335 Nicholson Hall (NOTE LOCATION CHANGE)In honor of International Women's Day (March 8th), WSAC is bringing women activists from local community organizations and social movements to campus to tell us about their campaigns. Come to learn about the work of Women Against Military Madness, Lisa Albrecht of the U of M, the Children's Defense Fund, Women’s Student Activist Collective, and more TBA. Free MESA pizza! For more information: www.facebook.com/events/134525430051870/.

March 8» Best Practices In Professional Development: Gender and Communication with U of M Debate Coach Dave Hellwich (WPP Happy Hour)4 p.m., Humphrey School Commons, Humphrey School of Public AffairsMixing, hour and a half of info and practice, and more mixing. For more information: www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/wpp/events/upcoming_events.html.

March 14International Perspectives on Gender: A Brown Bag Lunch Series 12 p.m., International Fellows Lounge (Room 55), Humphrey School of Public AffairsTOPIC: Women and political leadership. What are we learning in various contexts about how to increase the number and effectiveness of women in political leadership? What is the role of quotas, class/caste, geography, capacity building, and other dimensions of this issue? We'll be reflecting on the topic in the context of a Politics & Gender article, “Gender Quotas and Women's Substantive Representation: Lessons from Argentina.” Sponsored by the Center on Women and Public Policy and the International Fellows Program. For more information: www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/wpp/events/upcoming_events.html.

March 14» “Somebody Forgot to Tell Somebody Something”: Feminist and Queer or Color Cultural Production in the 80s and 90s (Presentation by Lisa Kahaleole Hall) 4 p.m., 125 Nolte CenterThis talk focuses on re-remembering and reclaiming queer of color cultural work from the past, and asks what it takes to produce it in the present and future. What were the conditions that enabled artist intellectuals such as June Jordan, Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldua and Marlon Riggs to produce their transformative politically and personally revolutionary art, and how do we keep their legacy alive and growing? Lisa Kahaleole Hall is a professor of Women's Studies at Wells College where she is interested in the intersections of race, colonialism, and indigeneity with gender and sexuality. Sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Study. For more information: ias.umn.edu/2013/05/15/hall-lisa-kahaleole/.

March 27» Interdisciplinary Women’s Health Lecture Series12 p.m., 2-690 Moos TowerPamela Schreiner, PhD, FAHA, Professor from the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota will be discussing secular trends in lipids among women participating in the CARDIA Study over 25 years and how these trends would differ if modifiable risk factors were considered. The impact of race will also be discussed. For more information: www.wmhealth.umn.edu.

All BMW members and friends are cordially invited to our annual gala. This year’s theme “BMW Presents...A Vision of Success,” will include a panel of distinguished guests, a keynote speaker, and great opportunity to network and receive valuable advice from professionals of various fields. For more information: bmw@umn.edu.

March 29» On the Road to Equality with Humphrey Student Josie Shardlow and Kim Borton from the Women’s Foundation (WPP Happy Hour) 4 p.m., Humphrey School Commons, Humphrey School of Public AffairsHumphrey and the Women's Foundation teamed up last summer to tour the state sharing data on women and girls and learning more about how women and girls are doing from the communities. Mixing, 45 minutes of stories from the road, and more mixing. For more information: www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/wpp/events/upcoming_events.html.

On Other Campuses/In the Community

March 4» Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men – An Evening with Michael Kimmel7 p.m., Ostrander Auditorium, Minnesota State University, MankatoDr. Michael Kimmel is among the leading researchers and writers on men and masculinity in the world today. He will be holding a public lecture, which will be open and free to the public. The lecture will be followed by a book signing and a reception. Visit www.guyland.net for more information about Dr. Kimmel. For more information about the lecture, visit www.mnsu.edu/wcenter/events/.

March 5» Luann Dummer Center for Women Presents: Women’s History Month Lecture by Sara Paretsky, “Women, Speech and Silence”7:30 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of St. ThomasSara Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world when she introduced her private detective, “V. I. Warshawski,” in her 1982 novel Indemnity Only. By creating a strong female investigator who uses her wits as well as her fists, Paretsky challenged the conventions of a genre in which women traditionally were either vamps or victims. Paretsky's education and research have yielded her a great deal of historical and political knowledge, informing her perspectives on a myriad of issues, places, and people across spectrums of class, race, and gender. Paretsky writes, “Every writer’s difficult journey is a movement from silence to speech. We must be intensely private and interior in order to find a voice and a vision—and we must bring our work to an outside world” (Writing in an Age of Silence, 111). For more information, please visit www.stthomas.edu/ldcw/.

March 9» Angela Davis and Marc Lamont Hill at Building Bridges Conference 201310 a.m., Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MNBuilding Bridges offers a platform for students to address matters of global significance proactively and informatively. This year's keynote speakers will be Dr. Angela Davis, professor of history of consciousness at the University of California Santa Cruz and author of Are Prisons Obsolete?, and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, associate professor at Columbia University and political commentator and journalist. We are working to produce a conference that will leave a lasting impact on our community and beyond. We hope to engage and direct the Gustavus community's strong sense of justice and social activism against mass incarceration. Tickets are $10 for general public, and FREE for students. For more information, visit: gustavustickets.universitytickets.com.

March 12» Action Day to End Violence Against All Women Rally12:30 p.m., Minnesota State Capitol-75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155Action Day to End Violence Against Women is a collective effort by six statewide coalitions to raise awareness about the prevalence and devastating impact of violence against women in Minnesota. 12:30 p.m.: Men's Rally. 1:00 p.m.: Action Day to End Violence Against All Women Rally. This rally is connected to a one-day FREE event that includes orientation on educating legislators, meetings with legislators, youth involvement events, networking opportunities, a men’s rally, all of which culminates in a POWERFUL RALLY in the State Capitol Rotunda at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. For more information: www.facebook.com/events/457242361011015/.

March 20»Money Management for Women 5:45 p.m., CSU 284, Minnesota State University, MankatoJoin us for a discussion about women and money management during college and after graduation. Receive tips on money management, financial future, confidence with money, and overcoming myths and stereotypes of women and money. Food will be provided. Space is limited. Visit the Women’s Center, CSU 218, for your free ticket. For more information: www.mnsu.edu/wcenter/events/.

March 26»Carol Ortman Perkins Lecturer: Lilly Ledbetter7 p.m., CSU Ballroom, Minnesota State University, MankatoFor 10 years, Lilly Ledbetter fought to close the gap between women’s and men’s wages, sparring with the Supreme Court, lobbying Capitol Hill in a historic discrimination case against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. President Obama, on January 29, 2009, signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first law of his presidency. www.lillyledbetter.com. For more information about the lecture: www.mnsu.edu/wcenter/events/.